English
dose
Dose comes from Middle French dose, from Ancient Greek δόσις ‘a portion prescribed’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructedreduplicated athematic present of *deh₃-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίδωμιdídōmi‘to give’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδόσιςdósis‘a portion prescribed’literally ‘a giving’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdosis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dose
- Englishearliest quotation 1871same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dédeh₃ti‘to be giving’reconstructedreduplicated athematic present of *deh₃-
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίδωμιdídōmi‘to give’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδόσιςdósis‘a portion prescribed’literally ‘a giving’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdosis
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dose
- Englishearliest quotation 1871same form
Earliest quotation: 1871, George Meredith, The Adventures of Harry Richmond: “She thought herself broad awake, and I have dosed…”
The story
Borrowed from Middle French dose, from Late Latin dosis, from Ancient Greek δόσις (dósis, “a portion prescribed”, literally “a giving”), used by Galen and other Greek physicians to mean an amount of medicine, from δίδωμι (dídōmi, “to give”). Mostly displaced English drench.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’
date, add, addition, delicious, donate, donation, donor, vendor, rendition, additive, dow, addendum, condone, dowry, dowager, perdition, venta, endow, dower, dati, sconce, 38 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti ‘to be giving’
data, die, rent, tradition, surrender, treason, vent, render, rendezvous, antidote, dative, dacha, 19 more
through Ancient Greek δίδωμι ‘to give’
Today it means
noun A measured portion of medicine taken at any one time.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / dose